Welsh Liberal Democrats

Lack of housing takes families back to post war times

Welsh Government Statistics released yesterday show that new house building in Wales is at its lowest level since the Second World War. This is despite a government report that shows that an estimated 284,000 additional homes are required in Wales over the next fifteen years.

Government research says that an estimated 284,000 additional homes are required in Wales between 2006 and 2026. 183,000 of these are in the market sector and 101,000 in the non-market sector. This is an average of 14,200 dwellings a year - 9,200 in the market sector and 5,100 in the non-market sector. In addition, there is a current backlog of unmet housing need which is estimated at 9,500 households.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Housing Spokesperson, Peter Black said: "Current housing demand is similar to the housing shortage following the Second World War when an estimated 750,000 new homes were needed across the UK. Post war Britain managed to deal with a housing crisis that was largely out of their control yet the Welsh Government is failing to build the new affordable homes needed to accommodate families and the private housing sector itself is also not meeting demand.

"We do not want to return to the 'pre-fabs' of the 1950's, as much loved as they were by their occupiers, but a new solution needs to be found to meet the housing needs of thousands of families."